Chris Pratt has to be the actor who has changed the most since I’ve been following movies/tv/pop culture closely. To some degree he’ll always be Andy from Parks and Rec in my mind at the home base of my thoughts. And because of this, I’m still surprised every time I see a muscle pop out of his neck now that he is all beefed up. The guy has range. When he isn’t being funny he is being charming, dramatic or any other range of emotions. He has/is carrying multiple major franchises and has become a true Hollywood power house. Here is hoping he stays one of our most hilarious, lovable actors for decades to come.
Do you remember the time when Jason Segel was in every other comedy out there and Chris Pratt was the chunky comic relief? What is crazy to think about is that films like The Five-Year Engagement came out almost 10 years ago. Much has changed since then. Christ Pratt is a blockbuster lead and Jason Segel hasn’t done a whole lot in the past few years. But when they came together for this rom-com, there was some magic to be made! This film is not going to go down as one of the top comedies of the decade but it brings the laughs from an impressive ensemble consisting of Segel, Pratt, Emily Blunt, Alison Brie, and others. Nicholas Stoller brings this comedy to life with the same energy that he brought to the raunchy outing Neighbors and the strangely magnetic animated feature Storks. This journey following a couple, Segel and Blunt, along a winding road that is their engagement which provides laughs and drama around every corner. Pratt is the loveable goof that audiences fell in love with on Parks and Rec. What else could you want? (Shane Conto)
Most of the time when we see Chris Pratt, we see him as Star-Lord in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or Owen in the Jurassic World franchise. You know, good guys. In The Kid, directed by Vincent D’Onfrio (yes, that one), Chris Pratt plays Grant Cutler, a creepy uncle with bad intentions for his niece. Throughout the film, Pratt is a force to be reckoned with. The first time we see him, he attacks the titular “kid” just because he was in his way. Rounding out the cast is Dane DeHaan as Billy the Kid, Ethan Hawke as Pat Garrett, Jake Schur as Rio Cutler and Leila George D’Onofrio as Sara Cutler. All of these actors give award-worthy performances in this film that was universally panned by critics. If you’re up for a good Western that has a lot to say about what family in The Wild West would be like, check out The Kid on Hulu. (Austin Belzer)
Chris Pratt became a hot, action star with the help of the fourth installment of the Jurassic Park saga. I’m always skeptical when it comes to the continuation of the same film over and over. It gets tiring, but this time around, it was somewhat…refreshing after 14 years since Jurassic Park 3 (terrible by the way, just skip it). Pratt plays Owen Grady, Navy veteran, an ethologist, handler and a velociraptor expert (so many careers). This was the first time where we see the raptors follow orders from a human. How cool and ridiculous is that? In his second top billing role, we get another chance of seeing Pratt’s acting chops and he keeps getting better. Does he carry the film? Yes. I mean, there are some unbelievable scenes, like Grady riding a motorcycle in the jungle with the raptors, and he just does an amazing job as a leading man. Who knew this lovable doofus could become this hunk of a man, taking on dinosaurs and looking cool doing it? Pratt showed that he can hang with the big dogs and even though Jurassic Park/World is already a household name, this film helped Pratt continue on his road to making a name for himself. (Chantal Ashford)
Remakes are often really disappointing and completely redundant, The Magnificent Seven (2016) avoids these trappings to make an entertaining film. This film in actuality is a remake of a remake, Based off of The Seven Samurai (1954) which was later remade into the original The Magnificent Seven (1960) for Western Audiences quite literally. The timing was right to re-introduce this story to a new generation. A varied group of seven gunmen are brought together to get well deserved revenge on a tyrannical industrialist on the behalf of a scorn widow. This remake, like its predecessors, has a strong ensemble cast mixed with up and comers and well established stars of the industry. The Seven consists of Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Martin Sensmeier. They all add elements to the story with their characterization/quirks. Especially Denzel Washington and Chris Pratt, who work really well together and there is a synergistic energy between the two that is infectious. You can’t help but root for the two of them to succeed in their mission for revenge. With beautiful cinematography and entertaining dialog, the film honors its predecessors. The shootouts are well shot and especially that of the final confrontation, a stand-off that is comparable to the two previous films that this one is based off of. The Magnificent Seven isn’t the best of the previous films, but it does an excellent job of capturing their energy. (Joseph Vargas)
Passengers isn’t perfect and certainly has its issues, but I can’t help but love this movie. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I saw this movie on my honeymoon, but this movie holds a special place in my heart. Passengers stars Chris Pratt as Jim Preston and Jennifer Lawrence as Aurora Lane as they voyage to a distant planet far from earth that requires them to stay in a cryogenic chamber. Unfortunately for them, they both wake up 90 years too early. With all the other passengers in deep sleep and the ship deteriorating at a rapid speed, it’s up to Jim and Aurora to save all the passengers on board before it’s too late. Look, without giving away heavy spoilers, this movie is a bit problematic with what they do with the characters of Jim and Aurora, but I 100% buy into it because of the way they do it and how great Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence are in their respective roles. Their chemistry oozes off the screen and their characters love for each other is sweet, sincere, complicated, but above all else incredibly charming. This is the most impressive work Chris Pratt has done as an actor. Especially in the first opening 30 minutes. You can feel his loneliness, his sadness, and his desperation to connect to something or someone. Don’t judge a movie based off the Rotten Tomatoes score, give Passengers a shot and I promise you’ll at least be impressed with the Thomas Newman score. (Ben Davis)
We are Groot. Remember when this movie was announced and we all asked, “What even is this movie?” I mean a writer-director who has done exclusively indie stuff, Andy from Parks and Rec as a leader of a superhero movie, with Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, but only in Voicework? Come on, this movie has to be ridiculous, right? Yes, but in the best possible way! I remember leaving the theater being absolutely in awe and then talking with friends and they said it was their favorite MCU movie! I mean, how ludicrous!? It can’t be better than Iron Man or The Avengers, right? BUT IT IS! This cast with only one movie together has more chemistry than the main cast by the time Infinity War came around! Everything about this movie works so well. You can’t mention this movie and not mention the incredible soundtrack that goes with it. And, of course, there is some of the hardest laughs in the MCU, but also some of the most emotional moments (I cry at three moments each time I watch this). This movie is a heartwarming tale about a group of misfits who learn to find their own family and Chris Pratt is the perfect actor to carry this family. All-in-all, this is still in contention for the best MCU film and I am so thrilled that we get to continue this journey with them through at least the upcoming Guardians 3. (Aaron Schweitzer)
Everybody loves Chris Pratt because of one role: Andy Dwyer from Parks and Recreation. Pratt’s breakthrough role as the lovable idiot led him to becoming a charismatic leading man in the successful blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World film series. It’s a true Hollywood success story and Pratt deserves his praise for his portrayals of the leads in those films; in fact, you can see the Andy Dwyer charm reflected in Peter Quill and Owen Grady. However, despite the laid-back “Everyman” appeal of those two characters, I would argue that Pratt’s most relatable and admirable character is that of Emmet in 2014’s The Lego Movie. The film itself at face value is a charming animated flick based on the gimmick of using childhood toys to sell itself to children. Ironically, the Lego Movie is a terrific lampoon on modern culture and, more specifically, consumerism. Admittedly, the film has a varied cast of A-Listers, such as Morgan Freeman and Liam Neeson, that lend their voices and help guide the film with it’s great characters. However, I would make the argument that Chris’s Pratt lending his voice as the lead character is where the film succeeds best. The script, direction, and performance give off the impression that it’s an animated Andy Dwyer in the film’s universe. The Lego Movie is Chris Pratt’s best film because he relies on selling his charm with only his voice and personality without any physical humor or attraction. (Dylon Turner)
How realistic can Hollywood be when the people involved in the real-life exploits cannot even agree? That seems to be at the heart of debate surrounding “Zero Dark Thirty”. In fact, a quick read of the reviews on IMDB, followed by a quick google search of the same, and you will see one common theme: is the torture in this movie “glamourized” to show that torture works? I feel I am smart enough to leave that argument to others smarter than me. Instead, we are here to celebrate the leap Andy Dwyer took to get his life in order, by enlisting in the Navy and moving up to become a Tier 1 Navy SEAL!! Regardless of how one views “Zero Dark Thirty”, one thing that cannot be debated is the last 30 minutes of this movie is a thriller to set nerves on edge, on par with the climax of “Silence of the Lambs” (also seen through night vision goggles, interestingly enough). I love the marked difference in Pratt’s barely restrained hyperactivity, never standing still, even swaying side to side, as if he has so much energy (most likely dip and Red Bull) that he’s about to explode, contrasted with Edgerton’s quiet, restrained calm. His inclusion in this case was a stroke of inspiration and genius. (Donald Skidmore)
Although I’ve never been into sports, I’m always willing to appreciate a great sports movie, be it “Miracle,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Invictus,” or “Ford v Ferrari.” One of the best recent examples of the genre, and one of the best movies of 2011, was director Bennett Miller’s “Moneyball,” which tells the true story of the Oakland Athletics baseball team’s general manager, Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), who, during the 2002 season, is faced with a restrictive budget for players and must work with his assistant general manager, Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), to use an elaborate sabermetric approach to scout and analyze players. Pitt delivers a performance that’s perfect in how understated, yet emotional it is; Hill provides work that catapulted him into being seen as much more than a comedic actor; and Chris Pratt makes a memorable appearance as the A’s first baseman, Scott Hatteberg. As Miller exemplified prior to this movie with “Capote” and after it with “Foxcatcher,” he has a talent for crafting movies that are purely character-driven, allowing us to see detailed evolutions of said characters from the first to the last scene. This is all paired to great effect with a screenplay by Steve Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin (a screenwriting dream team), whose words absorb us into the intricacies of this behind-the-scenes look at the formation of baseball teams, giving us a full view into the work that goes into a process such as this. If you had given this topic to any other screenwriter to tackle, I doubt that it would have resulted in something that’s as intriguing as this, and with this special collaboration between Miller, his screenwriters, and his cast, “Moneyball” is a sports movie of world-series stature. (Vincent Abbatecola)
Her is a beautifully written and directed film by Spike Jonze about the benefits and dangers of technology and how much we depend on them. Set in the near future, Theodore finds himself lonely and missing companionship. He soon discovers an AI that is only accessible through an earpiece named Samantha(voiced by Scarlett Johansson) and begins a relationship with it. This relationship continually gets more complex and complicated as the movie goes on. Chris Pratt gives a really good guest performance in this movie as one of Theodore’s work friends, but this is all about Joaquin Phoenix. He gives one of the most vulnerable and moving performances of his career as Theodore Johansson. (Kaleb Wolters)
Honorable Mentions
What’s Your Number
I always think there’s something a little sweet about two people who are together in real life acting in the same movie together. Obviously, it’s at its peak when they’re playing romantic interests, but it makes a lot of sense that then-married-couple Chris Pratt and Anna Faris played exes in the silliest way possible. What’s Your Number follows Faris’ Ally Darling who looks back on her 19 exes to see if she can find the One amongst them. Pratt’s role is to be the spark that starts this fire, as Ally bumps into him and realises that ‘disgusting Donald’ has scrubbed up to become a respectable young man, meaning that there could be another diamond in the rough from her past waiting to be found. Starring a weirdly high-tier list of actors – Chris Evans, Blythe Danner, Tika Sumpter, Joel McHale, Martin Freeman, Andy Samberg, Zachary Quinto and Aziz Ansari to name a few- this is a fun, flirty rom-com that is a good time for anyone looking for something easy and entertaining. It’s a ‘when you’re in the mood’ type of flick, that has a really fun cameo from your favourite Pratt just as he started becoming widely known! (Alice-Ginevra Micheli)